Lie Of The Land was first released as one of the two tracks on the B’ Side of the Marching On 7″ single released in October 1982.
It’s a very early song. When we actually got down to London, we started getting a lot of interest from record labels and things like that. One of the first things we did when we were starting to play with U2 and all that, we started to get some interest and got to make some demos for Polygram and all these other kind of record labels. At the time we were just 3 acoustic guitars and a drum kit. We had no bass, but we had this theory that if we mic’d up the bass drum that’d be enough. But when we made these demos it sounded terrible and all the interest we had started to evaporate. We just didn’t get anywhere. Eddie took on the bass role because he was a good guy basically. He gave up a lot of his guitar aspirations to fill a hole in the sound of the band. So, this is one of the songs that we did on the EMI demos. Probably wrote this one when we got to London. One of the very early songs we wrote. When we got to London, I’d kind of got into Bob Dylan by this time and the harmonica and all that kind of stuff. This is one of the songs that we wrote in London, it was probably influenced by Subterranean Homesick Blues all that kind of stuff. – Mike Peters, Alarm 2000 Day
1982 Recording Version
Running length : 2:31
Written By: Macdonald/Peters
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Sharp – Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Nigel Twist – Drums, Backing Vocals
Mark Feltham – Harmonica
Angie Knox – Hammond Organ
Recorded at Matrix Studios, London WC1A, England 7th September 1982
Produced by Aricentus (Steve Tannett and Harry Murlowski) and Ian Wilson
Engineered by Jess Sutcliffe
Alternative studio recording releases – Demo, Acoustic, Remastered, Reimagined
1982 – The Alarm – EMI Studios Demo Version
Running length : 2:21
Musicians & Credits
Eddie Macdonald – Lead vocals & electric tremolo guitar
Dave Sharp – Acoustic guitar
Mike Peters – Acoustic bass
Nigel Twist – Drums
Recorded at EMI Manchester Square Studios, London W1U, England 3rd June 1982.
Produced & engineered by Ron Hill
1997 – Mike Peters – Acoustic Works 1981-1986
Running length : 2:42
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica
Recorded in 1997 by Gethyn Evans at Mountain & Sea Studios, Wales
Produced by Michael Peters
2000 – The Alarm – The Alarm 2000 Collection Box Set : Eponymous 1981-1983 [Remastered]
Running length: 2:21
Musicians & Credits
Eddie Macdonald – Lead vocals & electric tremolo guitar
Dave Sharp – Acoustic guitar
Mike Peters – Acoustic bass
Nigel Twist – Drums
Remastered from the 1982 EMI demo version by Mike Peters
Remastering Engineered by Gary Butler @ RTS Liverpool in 2000
2000 – The Alarm – The Alarm 2000 Collection Box Set : Eponymous 1981-1983 [Remastered]
Running length: 2:31
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Sharp – Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Nigel Twist – Drums, Backing Vocals
Mark Feltham – Harmonica
Angie Knox – Hammond Organ
Remastered from the 1982 single version by Mike Peters
Remastering Engineered by Gary Butler @ RTS Liverpool in 2000
2014 Recording details – The Alarm – Peace Train
Running length: 2:43
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, acoustic guitar, drums and percussion & harmonica
Recorded at Bethel Chapel Studios, North Wales
Produced by Michael Peters. Recorded and mixed by Mark Warden
2018 – The Alarm – Eponymous 1981-1983 [Remastered]
Running length: 2:22
Musicians & Credits
Eddie Macdonald – Lead vocals & electric tremolo guitar
Dave Sharp – Acoustic guitar
Mike Peters – Acoustic bass
Nigel Twist – Drums
Remastered from the 1982 EMI demo version recording by Pete Maher
Remastering supervised by Mike Peters
2018 – The Alarm – Eponymous 1981-1983 [Remastered]
Running length: 2:32
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Sharp – Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Nigel Twist – Drums, Backing Vocals
Mark Feltham – Harmonica
Angie Knox – Hammond Organ
Remastered from the 1982 single version recording by Pete Maher
Remastering supervised by Mike Peters
Album appearances and discography for studio versions
All the following are Worldwide releases except where stated
1984 – Jamming – A New Optimism – A compilation album released on Situation Two, catalogue number SITU 11 (Vinyl), SITC 11 (Cassette),
The album also includes songs by Wah!, Superheaven, Zerra 1, The Climb, Redskins, Billy Bragg, The Special A.K.A., Apocalypse, R.E.M, The Fire, Under Two Flags, The Reflections, The Icicle Works.
28th October 1997 – Mike Peters – Acoustic Works 1981-1986 – Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C004. (CD) (1997 Mountain & Sea, Wales Recording)
2000 – The Alarm – Eponymous (1981-1983) – Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C010. Appearing as part of the Alarm 2000 collection box set and then later as an individual disc (CD). 1982 demo version
2000 – The Alarm – Eponymous (1981-1983) – Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C010. Appearing as part of the Alarm 2000 collection box set and then later as an individual disc (CD). 1982 single version
2014 – The Alarm – The Peace Train – Twenty First Century Recording Company, Cat. No. 21C066. (CD). 2014 Bethel Chapel Studios recording.
16th March 2018 – The Alarm – Eponymous 1981-1983 remastered – Twenty First Century Recording Company, Catalogue numbers double vinyl LP 21C093 and double CD 21C095
Single appearances and discography for studio versions
UK Release
October 1982 – 7″ vinyl single – Marching On, B-side. Illegal Records, catalogue number ILS032
March 1984 – 7″ vinyl single – The Deceiver – A side of the second single of a Double pack release on IRS Records, catalogue number IRS103A. Liver version recorded at My Fathers Place, Long Island, New York, USA on 28th September 1983.
USA & Canada Release
1983 -5 track EP – Eponymous. IRS Records catalogue number. SP70504 (12″ vinyl), CS70504 (cassette)
Europe
1983 -5 track 12″ Vinyl EP – Eponymous. IRS/Illegal Records catalogue number. ILP 25573
Bootleg Single
Mid 1980s’ – 7″ vinyl single – What Kind of Hell, B-side. This is a copy of the 1982 demo recording not a recording as 17 in 1979/1980 as stated on the sleeve
Worldwide Release
2003 – 20th Anniversary Collectors Edition CD of the Eponymous EP with enhanced CD-Rom with additional features. Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C031.
Officially released live recordings – Audio
All the following are Worldwide releases on Twenty First Century Recording Company
(Except where stated)
28th September 1983. Recorded at My Fathers Place, Long Island, New York, USA
Band Line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald and Nigel Twist.
Engineered by Kevin Kelly. Running length 2:57.
Released on the B-side of The Deceiver 7″ single in March 1984, IRS Records, catalogue number IRS103A.
Released on 3″ CD single in 1988 – The Alarm – The Stand a.k.a. Save It For Later A & M Records, catalogue number 44797 2377 2 (USA)
Released on CD in 2000 – The Alarm – Eponymous (1981-1983), catalogue number 21C010.
Released on CD and Vinyl 16th March 2018 – The Alarm – Eponymous 1981-1983 remastered, catalogue numbers double vinyl LP 21C093 and double CD 21C095
13th December 1983. Recorded live at The Paradise, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Running length 3:20
Band Line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald and Nigel Twist
Running length 2:46
Released on CD in 2003 as The Alarm The Sound & The Fury Live 1981 to 1991. Shakedown records, catalogue number SHAKEBX112Z (UK, Export)
Released on CD in 2014 as The Alarm When The Storm Broke. Secret records, catalogue number SECDD098 (UK)
24th August 2003. Recorded at William Aston Hall, NEWI, Wrexham, Wales
Running Length 2:256 Mike Peters Solo acoustic.
Released in 2003 on Alarmstock Volume 6 – A Road Less Travelled
29th August 2004. Recorded at William Aston Hall, NEWI, Wrexham, Wales
Running Length 3:36 Mike Peters Solo acoustic
Released in 2004 on Alarmstock 2 Volume 5 – Yesterday As If It Was Today
6th August 2005. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London NW8, England
Running Length 3:55 Mike Peters Solo acoustic
Released in 2005 on Alarmstock III London Set 3 – A Fuse Has Been Lit In The House
13th August 2005. Recorded at Electric Lady Studio A, New York, USA
Running Length 4:34 Mike Peters Solo acoustic
Released in 2005 on Alarmstock III New York Set 1 – Broken Glass Everywhere
3rd November 2011. Record at The Flowerpot, Derby, England
Running Length 3:01. Mike Peters Solo acoustic
Released on CD in 2012 Mike Peters of the Alarm – 30th Anniversary Acoustic Alarm Tour 1981-2011, catalogue number 21C059
18th April 2014. Recorded at McCabe’s, Santa Monica, California, USA
Running Length 2:43 Mike Peters Solo acoustic
Released on CD in 2014 Mike Peters In Concert at McCabe’s, catalogue number 21C069
Officially released live recordings – Video / DVD
All the following are Worldwide releases on Twenty First Century Recording Company
(Except where stated)
29th January 2010. Recorded at Gathering 18, Pontins Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park, Prestatyn, Wales
Band line up : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve Grantley and Mark Taylor
Released in 2010 on DVD – The Alarm Live In The Red Poppy Arena, catalogue number 21CDVD014
5th April 2014. Recorded at The Deaf Institute, Manchester, England
Mike Peters acoustic
Released in 2014 on DVD – Declaration – Live From The Deaf Institute, catalogue number 21CDVD017
Lyrics – 1982 Single B-side
Too young to care, too old to fight
Ain’t bothered about your life
Drop out far out, don’t go to school
Get out while the going’s good
Sign up for the dole, dig a hole
For your bone and moan, ain’t got any cash
Hedonistic man with your can
And your head of sand, take the lie of the land
Let’s keep the flames of hope alive
And never let the fires die
Take the lie of the land
Today don’t wait, don’t hesitate
Get out there join a march
Join hands, make plans and take a chance
On the right hand side of the road
Avoid the gang of the man named Vicious Henry
And his friend called Billy Whizz
Don’t stay in the dark where the sharks
Will rip you off, they’re gonna tear you apart
Let’s keep the flames of hope alive
And never let the fires die
Take the lie of the land
And at home you’re alone
You’re the people that your parents warned you about
All your walls are adorned with protest
And you always quote the…….
Let’s keep the flames of hope alive
And never let the fires die
Take the lie of the land
(Written by Macdonald/Peters)
Audio & Visual links
Audio Link – 1982 EMI Demo recording from the official The Alarm Youtube channel
Audio Link – 1982 Eponynous recording from the official The Alarm Youtube channel
Video Link – 1984 recording live in Germany upload to youtube from a German TV broadcast
(Page updated 23/05/2021)